Spaces & Flows: Seventh International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies 10-11 November 2016 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, USA Delegate Pack
Dear Delegate, Thank you for participating in the Spaces & Flows: Seventh International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies. We are pleased you will be joining us in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. In preparation for the conference, we have put together some information that we hope will prove useful to you as you begin to prepare for the conference and your arrival in Philadelphia. This packet is a starting point for your preparations. We realize you may have some additional questions after reviewing the material here. For any questions that remain please contact the conference secretariat at support@spacesandflows.com. We hope your planning goes well, and we look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia. Best wishes, Patricija Kirvaitis Spaces & Flows: Seventh International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies
VENUE INFORMATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Venue Address Getting to Venue Registration Desk Location Plenary and Parallel Session Location and Hours Session Types Themed Presentation Poster Session Focused Discussion Themed Presentations Equipment Program Internet Access ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION Conference Hotel Address Arriving in Philadelphia Airport Philadelphia Public Transportation System: SEPTA Car ACTIVITIES AND EXTRAS Conference Reception GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS AND INFORMATION
VENUE INFORMATION Venue Address: Houston Hall University of Pennsylvania 3417 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6306 Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel
Getting To Venue: From the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel Head west on Chestnut St. toward S 36 th St. Turn left onto S 36 th St. Turn left onto Spruce St. Destination will be on the left
Registration Desk: The registration desk will be located on the 2 nd floor of Houston Hall. On arrival, delegates will receive their name badge, program, and conference bag. The registration desk will be open at 8:00 AM on Thursday, 10 November and at 8:15 AM on Friday, 11 November. Plenary and Parallel Session Location and Hours: The plenary sessions will be located on the 2 nd floor of Houston Hall. The parallel sessions will be located on the 2 nd and 3 rd floors of Houston Hall. The preliminary program can be viewed on the website. Session Types: For a complete description of session types, please visit our website. Themed Presentation: If you have a Paper Presentation in a Themed Session, you have been scheduled into a seventy five or one hundred-minute session with three or four other presenters. In these themed sessions, papers are grouped by similar topics or by different perspectives on a particular issue. This format allows for greater participation and enhanced discussion. In themed sessions, each presenter speaks for twenty minutes. A group discussion for all presented papers follows in the time remaining. To allow adequate time for group discussion, please limit presentation to twenty minutes. Poster Session: Poster Sessions advertise your research. They combine text and graphics to make a visually pleasing presentation. As viewers walk by, your poster should quickly and efficiently communicate your research. Unlike the slideshow or verbal presentation, a Poster Session allows viewers to study and restudy your information and discuss it with you one on one. Authors will hold discussions with the other delegates who are circulating amongst the poster boards. Many authors find it helpful to present a brief introduction to answer the obvious questions and allow the remainder of time for more in-depth discussions. The author must remain by his/her poster for the duration of the session. If you are considering distributing handouts, approximately 20-30 copies are recommended. Any materials needed to hang or display posters will be provided on-site. Focused Discussion: In a Focused Discussion session, each presenter is assigned to a specific table, where delegates will have the opportunity to have an extended discussion with presenters. On entering the room, you will see tables each with 6-10 chairs. Focused Discussions offer unique opportunities for learning and professional exchange, are excellent venues for giving and receiving targeted feedback, promote engaging in-depth discussions, and facilitate meeting colleagues with similar interests. Equipment Data projectors will be provided in all session rooms, but computers will NOT be provided. Please bring your own laptop and, as back-up, a USB thumb drive with your presentation preloaded. If you are a Mac user, please be sure to bring the correct Mac VGA adapter. Also please note that the University does not provide overhead projectors for transparencies in their class rooms.
Program The 2016 Preliminary Conference Program is currently online. You will also receive a program booklet at the conference containing the conference schedule. Internet Access Wireless Internet access is available to conference delegates within the conference venue, details of this will be provided at the conference desk upon check in.
ACCOMMODATION and TRAVEL INFORMATION Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel 3549 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA Telephone: +1 (215) 387-8000 Arriving in Philadelphia Airport If you are flying into Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), you have the following transportation options to get you to Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel: Taxi: Fare: $28.50 for 1 person (flat rate), $29.50 for 2 people (flat rate). A taxi stand is located immediately outside baggage claim at each terminal. The trip is approximately 20 minutes. Also, a metered cab ride from the airport to campus costs a flat rate of $26.25 (subject to change), plus tip, and takes approximately 20 minutes. Lady Liberty Shuttle Van: Fare: $10 per adult; Hours: Sunday Saturday, 7AM-11PM; Travel Time: approximately 30-45 minutes. This is the Philadelphia airport shuttle service, and it will drop you off to any Center City or University City hotels or residences. In baggage claim at each terminal, there is a ground transportation desk. The attendant will assist you in connecting with Lady Liberty to secure a seat on the next shuttle. Lady Liberty airport shuttles depart the airport approximately every 15 minutes; Hours: 5:30AM-12(Midnight). SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) Regional Rail Airport Line: Fare: $8 (cash pay on board); Independence Pass: $12 (one day unlimited travel on Bus, Subway, Trolley, and Regional Rail); Hours: 5:07 AM 12:30 AM from Airport to Center City. This line connects all airport terminals to Center City. The trip is approximately 20-25 minutes. For a complete schedule of the airport line to/from Center City Philadelphia, please refer to this schedule: http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/pdf/air.pdf o You can get off at the University City Station or the 30 th Street Station. From these stations to the hotel, it will be a 15 minute walk. o If you get off at 30 th Street Station, you can also purchase a trolley ticket and: get off at the 36 th St. Trolley Portal Station (#10), head one block south, and then the hotel is on your left get off at the 36 th St. Trolley Station (#11, #13, #34, #36), head 1 block north, and then the hotel is on your right Rental Car: If you are driving from PHL airport o Follow signs for I-95 North o Keep right to continue on Exit 13, follow signs for I-76 W/Valley Forge/PA-291 E o Merge onto PA-291 E/Penrose Ave o Use left 2 lanes to turn left onto S 26 th Street o Merge onto I-76 West o Follow I-76 W until Exit 346B toward University Ave. o Continue onto S 34 th Street o S 34 th Street turns into S. University Ave. o Turn right onto Chestnut StreetAfter 1 block, destination is on the left
Arriving by Car If you are driving by bringing your own car or a rental car, here are some general notes about parking: Parking at the hotel: For overnight guests of the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel, parking is currently $25/day with in/out privileges at a self-park facility. Upon check-in, you will receive a parking pass and the nightly fee will be posted to your guest room account. There is also an hourly hotel parking rate that range from $8-$32. Parking at the venue: Metered street parking and local garages are available near the hotel and campus. For additional information and parking rates, refer to the Interactive Parking Map (click to be redirected to the link). Philadelphia Public Transportation System: SEPTA The SEPTA operates a coordinated system of bus, subway, elevated train, and trolley lines that cover all of Philadelphia. Exact change (for $2.25) or a token (2 tokens for $3.60) is required; tokens are able to be purchased at all subway stations and on campus at the Penn Book Store (address: 3601 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104). Please visit the SEPTA website for more information: http://www.septa.org/index.html
ACTIVITIES AND EXTRAS Conference Welcome Reception Thursday, 10 November 2016 4:05 PM - 5:05 PM Ben Franklin Room Houston Hall Following the last parallel session, we invite all participants to join us for this event. All conference attendees are invited to attend. There is no need to pre-register for this event. Come join all the delegates and plenaries for drinks, refreshments, and opportunities for good conversations!
GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS Get to know the city you are going to visit before you leave home. Many resources are available on the Internet nowadays to help navigate the different sights and cultures abroad, and help you to more easily find your way around. Remember, the conference organizers are visitors to this beautiful city too, and although we do our best to assist our conference delegates, we may not be best qualified to offer directional or tourism information. For this, we encourage delegates to engage the many and helpful resources of a hotel s concierge desk or reference trusted travel sites and guidebooks such as www.frommers.com, www.fodors.com, or www.tripadvisor.com. Know where you re going and how to get there. Differences in languages can sometimes make getting around a foreign city more challenging even for the savvy traveler. It s helpful to have the addresses for both your hotel and the conference venue handy. Showing a taxi driver or ticket operator a written address is a helpful way to get you to your destination within the city when you arrive. If, during your trip, you will be on a schedule and need to get to places by a certain time (ie. conference check-in, presentation times, tours, dinner reservations, etc ), it s recommended that you explore and test drive the route you ll be taking ahead of time so that you re aware of the time it will take to get there. Taking this step also helps you know exactly where you ll be heading without the worry of getting lost. Maps, along with utilization of your hotel s concierge desk, and a little research of the local transportation systems ahead of time will also make your trip more enjoyable and run more smoothly. Familiarize yourself with the transportation options available in your destination city. Knowing the best way to get around any city is key. For instance, in many larger cities, public transportation is the preferred and often times the most economical and quickest means of transportation. These robust public transportation systems means there are often metros, subways, buses, trollies, and trains available to get you from one point to another seamlessly throughout a city, which is often more economical and quicker than taxis or car hires. Use only certified and registered public transportation when abroad. If using taxis, avoid using taxis that are unmarked and have no identifying company emblems. It s always a good idea to call and order a taxi from a central dispatch office to ensure safe, professional service and pricing. If you need to hail a taxi on the street, be sure to look for a familiar taxi emblem from one of the major taxi companies in town and negotiate the fare before getting into the taxi to ensure a fair and agreed upon price. Make hotel reservations before you arrive at your destination. To ensure the availability of accommodations, make sure to confirm a reservation at the conference hotel or hotel of your choosing before leaving home. Often times, also depending on the time of year and what events are going on in your destination city, hotels fill up well ahead of the conference date, and accommodations can be very difficult to secure upon arrival. Reserving accommodations well ahead of your arrival (2-4 months prior to trip is recommended) can avoid much stress and often times can result in more economical rates versus last-minute accommodations.
Exchange money before you leave home. Whether you plan on exchanging the majority of your currency when you arrive at your destination or anticipate paying mostly with credit cards, it s always a good idea to exchange a small amount of money before you leave home to have on-hand in case you can t find an exchange desk/shop right away upon arrival. Be sure to carry at least enough for transportation to your hotel and a meal or two. When exchanging money abroad, be aware of service charges noted in small print and shop around for the best exchange rates. Be aware of the currency differences and familiarize yourself with the currency for the country you will be traveling to. Having a working knowledge of the various denominations ahead of time will help you avoid common tourist pitfalls such as short-changing and over-charging. Place a travel advisory on your credit and debit card accounts. Because of all the security measures banks and credit card companies have in place today, many companies will freeze a credit or debit card account if they see unfamiliar or foreign charges come through. To avoid this inconvenience, call your bank or credit card company before you leave home and ask to place a travel advisory on the card(s). Provide your institution with the dates of travel and countries you will be visiting to avoid having your card service interrupted while abroad. Travel with a back-up credit card or travelers cheques for emergencies. When traveling abroad, it s always smart to have more than one form of payment available, in case your main form of payment is accidentally lost or not immediately available to you. Bring country/region appropriate power adapters and voltage converters for personal electronic devices and appliances. Standard electrical outlets and voltage amounts vary from country to country. Prior to leaving home, confirm the correct adapter type and voltage for the region and country you ll be visiting so that you ll be able to easily connect and use laptops, e-readers, cell phone chargers, electric shavers and hair dryers during your trip. Foreign adapters and converters can be purchased at most electronic stores and airport newsstands. Note that more powerful appliances, such as hair dryers, also require voltage converters to function properly overseas. Be sure to research and confirm what each of your devices will need in order to function safely and properly. Consider purchasing travel insurance. The savvy traveler is always prepared for the unforeseen and occasional emergency situation. Travel insurance is a smart way to make sure you re covered in case a medical emergency arises. Contact your insurance provider to see if they have travel policies that cover you overseas. Some credit card companies also offer travel insurance that cover travelers in case they experience medical or dental emergencies while abroad. Bring any personal items and medications you will need during your time abroad. Although pharmacies and grocery stores are easily found in many major cities, be sure to bring personal items and necessary medications with you especially if you require a specific brand or prescription that can t easily be found or filled abroad.
Familiarize yourself with your cell phone carrier s roaming and international rates/charges prior to leaving home. Often times, using personal cell phones abroad can be very costly depending on your carrier s roaming and international rates. Some companies have temporary international plans that can be purchased during your time abroad. Contact your cell phone carrier prior to your trip to inquire about the options available to you